Exports from Extremadura are looking outside the EU

4 August, 2017

The low prices of stone fruit in Europe are redirecting fruit towards other markets.

Fruit exports from Extremadura increased by around 20% during the first half of the year compared to the same period of the previous year, mainly owing to the earlier start of the campaign and the increase in the amounts being sent to countries outside the E.U.

One of the most significant facts of these first six months of 2017 has been the greater weight of the markets outside the European Union, as the chairman of the Asociación de Fruticultores de Extremadura (AFRUEX), Miguel Angel Gómez explains.

On the other hand, the early start of the campaign, due to the high temperatures both in the spring and at present, has meant that Extremadura has more produce in May and June compared to other years.

The sector in Extremadura has also had to adapt to the irregular behaviour of the EU markets, where prices in the sector dropped, which has forced companies to export to countries on other continents.

The situation in Europe “concerns” the sector in Extremadura, mainly because “there is no reason,” as there is no product stock, which justifies the continuous drop in the prices from which the continent is suffering.

This circumstance has meant other markets have had to be found in distant countries such as Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, Canada or South Africa, markets where produce has arrived earlier than normal.